When Ex-President Barack Obama's Daughter Sasha Obama Came Under Fire for Viral TikTok Video

Sasha Obama, the younger daughter of former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, has grown up in the public eye alongside her sister, Malia. The Obama sisters spent eight years in the White House during their father's presidency, and since leaving Washington, D.C., they have been forging their own paths. Malia graduated from Harvard University in 2021, while Sasha graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023. Both have tried to live more private lives, but there was a time when a TikTok video featuring Sasha during her college years sparked unexpected public criticism, as per The List. 

In December 2020, a TikTok user known as @pixiestick222 posted a video showing Sasha and her friends dancing. The clip seemed innocent, showing the group having fun together. However, Sasha faced online backlash for the content of the video. The footage was soon removed from TikTok, but the controversy continued.

The video featured Sasha and her friends dancing to Adderall (Corvette Corvette) by Popp Hunna, a popular song with over 19 million views on YouTube as of January 2024. The opening line of the song, "B*h! Corvette, Corvette. Hop in a motherf**n' jet like that," was part of the TikTok, with some of Sasha's friends mouthing the words. As such, conservative commentators were quick to criticize the video for its vulgar lyrics.

Despite the criticism, Sasha received support from several celebrities. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, defended the kid on Twitter. "Sasha Obama is a private citizen who deserves her privacy full stop," as per Newsweek. Please leave her all the way alone," Clinton tweeted on December 14, 2020. In addition to the backlash over the song's lyrics, some social media users also criticized Sasha for the perceived lack of diversity in her friend group. In the TikTok video, Sasha and one male friend were the only people of color, while the rest of the group was white. Still, supporters argued that Sasha should not be judged for having friends of different ethnic backgrounds.

Shortly after, another sensation hit Twitter: a photo circulated showing someone who closely resembles Sasha Obama in a crop top. However, before you rush to find the photo, even The Daily Mail reported that various social media users felt as if the woman in question might just have been a 'lookalike' and not the younger Obama kid.

This wasn't the first time Sasha faced scrutiny over her TikTok activity. In October 2020, she appeared in a video uploaded by TikTok user @Cakethatsmg, where she lip-synced to Moneybagg Yo's Said Sum remix featuring DaBaby and City Girls. This song also contained explicit language, and the video was quickly taken down. Despite the criticism, Sasha has not publicly addressed the incidents, and her life appears to remain unaffected.